Everyday life extraordinary

Monthly Archives: August 2013

Over the years, I have enjoyed friendships with so many different generations and continue to love the mix of ages in my friendship pool. The variety of ages of our kids ensure that we have those ages in the mix for sure…then we have so many more thrown into the mix. The younger friends are fresh and we get so many varying perspectives while they are forming their worldviews and making decisions that will last their lifetime. Our peer friends are ones we confer with and sometimes commiserate with and pray with; friends who hold your hand while we walk through the same season of life. The friends who are down that road and have held onto their faith and are so seasoned with grace and mercy and truth, we love to sit at their feet and soak in the riches of their experience. I look at my hodge podge of friendships and I am delighted to be blessed with the expanse of ages. Age is something that cannot be contained in a box – yes we are a certain number of years but why allow that to define who you are? With our kids, I love that they enjoy many friendships from different seasons of life. So that musing is to bring you to a thought that sprang into my head through my salt and pepper hair I have figured out the reason for my gray hairs growing in so funky. As I was standing at the mirror, confuzzled once again why my straight black/brown hair was being infused with funky silver sproings that appeared to defy gravity, it dawned on me. My hair is reflecting my heart. My heart rejects the notion that I am aging and therefore have to behave in a certain way. Each experience brings with it a certain wisdom and for that I am truly grateful. We can be mature without being old. I am not quite sure I have hit either one yet. I encourage every person I know to be fully who they are in Christ. I long to do the same and do not want age or culture or societal constraints to crowd that longing out. Defy gravity my sproingy silver hair and I will continue to do the same…holding hands all along the way. If we feel like skipping on the way, we might just do that. Now, I skip merrily downstairs to embrace my 49th birthday celebration with the greatest gifts the Lord has given me….my family.

Pirate patch? Something got on my contact last night and irritated it all night while in hard-core visitation and laughing! The conversations were too enjoyable to excuse myself to go home and set all things straight. I was immersed in the fun of the evening and did not pay attention to the increasing irritation of my eye. Upon arriving home, my eye was swollen and I could hardly see out of it. Hoping for a quick fix, I took my contacts out and put on my glasses, tears streaming from my eye. In the morning, nothing was changed and the pain and weeping was still there. It struck me this morning something I am guilty of. I am guilty of preferring my own pleasure in place of a wiser decision.

When we are in the situation of making choices of what path to walk on, I sincerely believe we have a niggling of conscience that would have us turn and set our feet on solid ground. In what areas of our lives do we plunge ahead in our own pleasures disregarding the obvious consequences of that decision? We THINK that we are immune to the destination the chosen path will take us. If we stay up late habitually, we will be tired in the morning. If we walk in a manner that draws the hearts of the opposite sex for personal significance and gain, there will be consequences of hurt and confusion. If we neglect to exercise our physical bodies, we are not as healthy as we could possibly be. If we are consistently negative to those around us and immerse our minds in negative thinking, we will suffer depression and resentment. In the same way, if we do not invest in healthy friendships and truly be a friend, we will find ourselves friendless. If we find ourselves consistently unable to commit to a relationship, or to a project, we are left in a limbo state. If we neglect to take up our pen and write, we will not produce any writings. If we choose not to feast on the Word of God we will not know God for God reveals Himself in His Word. If we eat carelessly we will not have energy or stamina or healthy bodies. What other ways do we make choices to walk on this path EVERY DAY and then react with surprise that we got where we are? Whatever path we choose will take us to the destination of our choosing. Why then are we so surprised when we end up there? Why do we rail against God or time or circumstances when we end up exactly where our feet have taken us? We end up at the end of the path we have chosen for ourselves and then with wide-eyed wonder shout…What the heck?? It is truly a ridiculous picture to be surprised when we hit a dead-end at a place where we did not want to end up but the signs were there the whole time. Some things are obviously out of our control but we truly have to consider where we have walked purposefully in a direction that was not healthy.

Now, I have a scratched eye that is a visible reminder of my bad decision. I have other things that linger in my life that are reminders of bad decisions where I have not chosen to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. What are those for you? Will we stop trying to find a scapegoat for those bad decisions and truly claim ownership for the ground we find our feet on?

Going out for a BBQ tonight and I am contemplating wearing a pirate patch and shouting out ARRGH and AYE AYE MATE sporadically throughout the evening. This will cover up the fact that I made a silly decision that resulted in my eye refusing to talk to me. My left eye is giving me the silent treatment until further notice. While this one is easy to cover up, some of our paths have led us to a destination we would rather not be at. The Lord is our light. He will go before us and we can focus our hearts and minds on that light. Where our eyes are focused, there our hearts have focused and we WILL walk towards it. Let’s purpose to focus our eyes on the one true God who reigns forever and will walk us down a path that leads to life. In my case, one eye for the time being but soon enough…two eyes!

The Lord is my light and my salvation; who shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27: 1

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. Psalm 37:23-24